Israel closes Old City and arrests Jerusalemite officials

The Israeli occupation forces closed the Old City in occupied Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque today with metal doors and barriers, blocking all entrances and gates.

The measure was taken after the Government decided to keep metal detectors at the entrances to the mosque leading for calls for mass protests.

Local sources told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the occupation forces brought in more metal barriers and spread them across the Old City and near Al-Aqsa Mosque’s gates in order to prevent demonstrations in support of Al-Aqsa.

The sources also noted that the occupation forces deployed a larger number of police offices, soldiers, special forces and security officers in civilian clothing across occupied Jerusalem in order to prevent Palestinian demonstrations and disperse gatherings.

As part of their escalated military measures, the Israeli occupation forces launched a large-scale arrest campaign against Jerusalemite officials and Fatah activists, including Hatem Abdelqader, head of Jerusalem affairs, Adnan Ghaith, Fatah’s secretary in Jerusalem, Amjad Abu Asab, head of Jerusalemites detainees and prisoner families committee, and Nasser Al-Hadmi, head of the Jerusalem Committee Against Judaisation.

The Jerusalemites have reiterated their rejection of the electronic gates, insisting on praying in the streets around Al-Aqsa, refusing to enter the mosque through those gates.